Refrigerating apparatus



March 7, 1939. c. A. STICKEL 2,149,799

' F REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 31, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Carl A. 5mm

March 7, 1939.

C. A. STICKEL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 31, 1935 2 Sheets-SheetINVENTOR.

I Carl Sl'ickel ATTORNEYS N/gQi WzMJa W Patented Mar. 7, 1939 UNITED,STATES REFRIGE RATING APPARATUS Carl A. Stickel, Dayton, Ohio, assignorto General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of DelawareApplication December 31, 1935, Serial No. 56,987

8 Claims. (Cl. 62-1) This invention relates to refrigerating apparatusand more particularly to humidifying means for refrigerator cabinets.

It has been found that the addition of moisture to the atmosphere inrefrigerator cabinets used for preserving foodstuffs makes it possibleto better preserve the food and particularly prevents dehydration of thefood. It, therefore, has I been proposed to connect an atomized supplywithin refrigerator cabinets to one of the water pipes in the dwellingor building where the cabinet happens to be located. This, however,necessitates a plumbing connection which is often undesirable. v It isan object of my invention to provide an electric refrigerator with aself-contained atomizing. device for humidifying the atmosphere withinthe refrigerator cabinets.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a self-containedatomizing device which will derive the power for its operation from oneof the parts of the apparatus.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a por- 30 tion of a domesticrefrigerator embodying one form of my invention; I

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the atomizer nozzle proper, shown in Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through a domestic electricrefrigerator embodying another form of my invention; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the atomizing device shown in Fig. 3.

Briefly, in Fig. 1, I have shown an atomizing 40 device comprising awater reservoir, a pump and an atomizing nozzle in which the pump isoper-.

ated by a volatile fluid which is in heat exchange relation with therefrigerant evaporating means so that its temperature is intermittentlyraised 45 and lowered during the idle and-operating periods of theintermittent refrigerating apparatus. The rise and fall of thetemperature of the evaporating means increases and reduces the pressure.of the volatile liquid so that the pump is oper- 50 ated to create asufficient water pressure to provide an atomizing spray.

In Figs. 3 and 4, I have shown another form in which the piston of apump is connected to the refrigerator cabinet door so that when the dooris opened and closed, water is pumped from a reservoir to an atomizernozzle, The pump is resiliently mounted so that some of the energy usedin closing the door is stored up in a spring which, through itsresiliency, causes a further actuation of the pump after the door isclosed.

' Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. 1, thereis shown a refrigerating apparatus including an insulated domesticrefrigerator cabinet 20 having inner metal walls 22 enclosing a foodcompartment 24 and outer metal 10 walls 26 surrounding, but spaced fromthe inner metal walls 22. Insulating means 28 fills the space betweenthe inner and outer metal walls to oppose heat leak into the foodcompartment. In order to cool the atmosphere within the food 15compartment 24, there is provided a refrigerant evaporating means 30located directly within the food compartment 24, surrounded by theatmos. phere thereof.

This refrigerant evaporating means 30 is con- 20 nected to a refrigerantliquefying means 32 comprising a compressor 34 driven by an electricmotor 36 for compressing the refrigerant and for forwarding thecompressed refrigerant to a condenser 38 where the compressedrefrigerant is liquefied and collected in a receiver 40. From thereceiver 40, the liquid refrigerant is forwarded through a supplyconduit 42 under the control of a suitable liquid cold control device 44,such as an elongated orifice or restrictor which controls the flow ofliquid refrigerant to an evaporating means 30. The liquid refrigerantevaporates under reduced pressure within the evaporating means 30 and isreturned to the compressor through the return conduit 46. Thetemperature of the evaporating means is intermittently reduced by theoperation of the refrigerant liquefying means 32 which is under thecontrol of a snap acting switch means 48 connected in series with thecompressor motor 36 and operated by a thermostatic bulb 50 located indirect heat exchange relation with the evaporating means 30.

When the evaporating means 30 reaches a predetermined high temperaturelimit, the snap acting switch means 48 closes, causing the operation ofthe refrigerant liquefying means which continues until the evaporatingmeans 30 has reached a predetermined low temperature limit. After theoperation of the refrigerant liquefying means ceases,'the temperature ofthe evaporating means 30 again rises and finally reaches the temperatureat which the liquefying means is again operated. The evaporating means30 may be provided with shelves for supporting ice trays 52 by which icemay be frozen. The evaporating means may 55 through the rise and fall intemperature of aeither operate above or below freezing temperaturesexcept when it is desired to freeze ice which requires a freezingtemperature.

The evaporating means in maintaining a desired low temperature of theatmosphere of the food compartment 24, necessarily must be at a lowertemperature than the atmosphere of the food compartment 24 in order toremove heat therefrom. This causes the condensation of moisture andsometimes the frosting of the evaporator 38 to incidentally dehydrate ordry the atmosphere within the food compartment 24. This dehydrationmakes the atmosphere within the food compartment 24 undesirably dry forthe preservation of most-food stuffs.

According to my invention, I provide self-contained atomizing means foradding moisture to the atmosphere of the food compartment 24. Myself-contained atomizing device avoids all plumbing connections. In Fig.1 this takes the form of a unitary system including a reservoir 68 forwater, a diaphragm pump 62 which is operated thermostatic bulb 64 whichis a part of a volatile fluid system connected to the pump by a tube.

66. The operation'of the diaphragm pump creates a water pressure whichforces the water in the form of an atomizing spray from the atomizernozzle 68.

More specifically, the reservoir 60 is provided with a removable lid IIIby which water may be added to the reservoir from time to time as may benecessary. The reservoir is connected by tubing 12 to the inlet sump orchamber 14 of the diaphragm pump 62. This sump or chamber I4 is providedwith an outlet leading into the pumping chamber 18 controlled by a leafspring type of flapper valve which acts as, a check valve to control theflow of fluid into the water pumping chamber I8 of the diaphragm pump62. The water pumping chamber I8 is operated from the fluid pressurechamber 88 by a diaphragm 82 of some suitable rubberlike material whichmay be provided with fabric or metal reenforcement. Preferably, thisrubberlike material contains a I polymer of chloro-2-butadiene-1,3 knowncommercially as Duprene.

The fluid pressure chamber 88 is connected by the tube 66 to thethermostat bulb 64 which contains, as mentioned before, a volatilefluid. The

rise in temperature of the evaporating means during the idle period ofthe liquefying means 32 expands the volatile fluid in the thermostaticbulb 64 and creates a pressure within the fluid pressure chamber 88which forces the diaphragm 82 from its mid position toward the outerwall of the water pumping chamber 18 against the resilient force of thecompression spring 84 to force water from the water pumping chamber outthrough the outlet controlled by the spring flapper valve 86. The springflapper valve 86 acts as a check valve to control the discharge of fluidfrom the water pumping chamber I8 into the discharge valve chamber 88which is connected by tubing 90 to the atomizer nozzle 68, from whichthe water pumped is sprayed into the atmosphere of the food compartment24 in an atomizing spray.

When the liquefying apparatus again operates, the refrigerantevaporating means 30 is reduced in temperature, thus cooling thevolatile liquid within the thermostatic bulb 64 and reducing the fluidpressure within the fluid chamber 80. This fluid pressure may be reducedbelow atmospheric, in which case the water from the reservoir 68particularly in case the pressure within the fluid pressure chamber doesnot go below atmospheric.

- This reduction in pressure causes the diaphragm 82 to be moved towardthe outer wall of the fluid pressure chamber 88 so that pumping chamber18 is thus enlarged to draw water into it through its inlet valve I6. Asoutlined above, when the operation of the liquefying means is stopped,the pressure rises and the water is then expelled from the pumpingchamber and conveyed to the atomizer nozzle.

The atomizer nozzle is better shown in Fig. 2 and is provided with aflanged seat 82 at the upper end of the pipe 90 upon which rests aspring loaded valve 94 held in position by a compressingspring 96, heldat its upper end by a spring retainer 98 fastened to the lower end of anadjusting screw I82 supported by the yoke I84, which in turn is held bythe flange 92 and the pipe 80. In the operation of this nozzle, whensufllcient water pressure is created in the pipe 98, the valve 84 islifted a slight amount off its seat 82 which permits a very fine andthin fllm of water to spread in all directions between the seating facesof the flange 92 and the valve 94 which provides an atomized spray. Thisatomized spray is taken up by the dehydrated atmosphere in the cabinetto humidity its atmosphere. Thus, I have provided a self-containedatomizing device which receives the energy required for its operationfrom'the rise and fall in temperature of the evaporating means. However,if desired, the rising. and falling temperature of the atmosphere itselfin the food compartment may be used to operate the pump.

In Figs. 3 and 4, I have shown another form of my invention in whichthere is provided a outer metal walls I24 enclosing the food compartmentI26 of a domestic electric refrigeraton Between the inner and outerwalls, there is provided insulating means I28 for reducing the heat leakinto the food compartment. Within the food compartment I26, is arefrigerant evaporating means I30 for removing heat from the atmospherein the food compartment. Dehydration is incidentally performed causingthe atmosphere thereof to be too dry for'the ideal preservation of food.In order to add humidity to the atmosphere of the food compartment, Iprovide within the food compartment a water reservoir I32 which supplieswater to a piston type pump I34 which has extending from its outlet avertical pipe I36 provided with an atomizer nozzle I38 at its upper end,similar to that shown in Fig. 2. The reservoir I32 is provided with afiller cap I48 at its upper end. This reservoir I32 is cast integrallywith the pump I34 and has an outlet I42 leading directly into thecylinder of the pump.

The pump is provided with a piston I44 propartment is a conicalcompression type coil spring I66 which urges the arm I58 in acounter-clockwise direction about its pivotal connection I62 so that thespring I66 tends to urge the piston I44 to the head end I10 of thecylinder.

When the door is opened, the piston rod I48 is pulled outwardly and thespring I66 forces the arm I56 to rotate in a clockwise direction aboutits pivotal connection I60 until the arm I58 enages the stop I68, afterwhich the piston I44 is drawn through the cylinder of the pumpingchamber so that water passes through the piston under the control of thevalve I46 and enters the space between the piston and the cylinder headI10. The piston I44 may be drawn all the way to the opposite end of thecylinder, but the location of the outlet I42 of the reservoir I32 limitsthe amount of water that may be trapped ina pumping chamber so as tolimit the amount of water to be pumped andthe pressure created when thedoor is closed.

When the door is closed, the water is trapped between the piston I44 andthe cylinder head I10 and a pressure is created within the pumpingchamber which causes a resistance to further movement of the piston I44with respect to the cylinder head I10 so that theY-shaped arm I56 ismoved in a clockwise direction to compress the spring I66. .This createsa water pressure which forces water out from the atomizer nozzle I38,thus providing an atomizing spray for the atmosphere within the cabineteach time the door is closed. After the door is closed, the'spring I66moves the cylinder and cylinder head I10 with respect to the piston toforce water from .the

pumping chamber out from the atomizer. nozzle until the spring I66 hasreached substantially its full limit of expansion. This provides a verysimple means for providing an atomizing device in a refrigerator. fromtime to time as necessary. The evaporating means I30 may be kept at anydesired temperature above or below freezing. Of course, a higherevaporator temperature is preferred providing it is suflicient tomaintain the food compartment at the proper temperature.

- While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Refrigerating apparatus including an insulated refrigerator cabinetmeans having a door and a door opening, a cooling means in heat exchangerelation with the interior of the cabinet, means for intermittentlyreducing the temperature of said cooling means, an atomizer within Thereservoir may be filled said cabinet means energized by the variationsin temperature of said cooling means for spraying an atomized liquidwithin said cabinet means.

2. Refrigerating apparatus including an insulated refrigerator cabinetmeans having a door and a door opening, a cooling means in heat exchangerelation with the interior of the cabinet, means for intermittentlyreducing the temperature of said cooling means, a self containedatomizer within the cabinet means including a supply reservoir, a pumphaving its inlet connected to said supply reservoir, an atomizer nozzleconnected to the outlet of said pump, said pump including means operatedby the variations in temperature of said cooling means for pumping aliquid from the supply reservoir to the atomizer nozzle. 4

3. Refrigerating apparatus including an insulated refrigerator cabinetcontaining a compartment to be kept cool, a cooling meansin heatexchange relation with said compartment, and an atomizer energized bytemperature variations Within said cabinet for spraying a liquid inatomized form within said compartment.

4. Refrigerating apparatus including an insulated refrigerator cabinetcontaining a compartment tobe kept cool, a cooling means in heatexchange relation with said compartment, means for intermittentlyreducing the temperature of said cooling means, and an atomizerenergized by temperature variations in said compartment for spraying aliquid in atomized form into said compartment.

5. Refrigerating apparatus including an insulated refrigerator cabinetcontaining a compartment to be kept cool, va cooling means in heatexchange relation with said compartment, and means energized bytemperature variations in said cabinet for humidifying said compartment.

6. A storage cabinet including a. closed compartment, means for varyingthe temperature of said compartment, and pump means energized by saidtemperature varying means for humidifying said compartment.

7. A storage cabinet including a closed compartment, means for varyingthe temperature of said compartment, and pump means energized by thevarying temperature in said compartment for humidifying same.

8. Refrigerating apparatus including an insulated refrigerator cabinetcontaining a compartment to be kept cool,- a cooling means in heatexchange relation with said compartment, means for cyclically reducingthe temperature of said cooling means, and means energized by the cyclesof said temperature reducing means for humidifying said compartment.

' CARL A. STICKEL.

